NEW DELHI: Renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, accompanied by 75 volunteers, is currently undertaking a foot march (padyatra) to Delhi.
The march, which began on September 1, aims to reach the capital by Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.
Wangchuk has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant Ladakh Sixth Schedule status to safeguard its unique environment and preserve its cultural heritage.
The Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution allows local populations to enact policies and laws tailored to their needs. Several states in India’s Northeast are covered under this schedule.
Wangchuk, who recently submitted a memorandum of demands to the Prime Minister during Modi’s visit to the Drass sector for the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, claims he has yet to receive a response.
In a virtual press conference held at the Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh border, Wangchuk emphasized the significance of the Sixth Schedule in enabling local communities to manage their natural resources. By the seventh day of his month-long journey, Wangchuk had covered 175 kilometers.
Ladakh has become a focal point for renewable energy projects, benefiting from approximately 320 clear days per year and an average daily global solar radiation of 2022 kWh/m²/annum.
The region holds the potential to generate 35 GW from solar energy and 100 GW from wind energy. However, Wangchuk argues that indiscriminate solar projects are undermining sustainable livelihoods, such as agriculture, herb cultivation, and pashmina wool production, which are integral to the region.
Wangchuk also highlighted the impact of global warming on Himalayan glaciers, warning that their melting could affect nearly two billion people globally. He called for a more considered approach to industrialization, which he believes is being pursued recklessly under the guise of development.
Earlier this year, Wangchuk and other prominent climate activists undertook a 21-day hunger strike, surviving only on salt and water, to demand full statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.
Criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Wangchuk accused it of making false promises to the people of Ladakh. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the BJP had pledged to grant full statehood to Ladakh and reiterated this commitment during the Leh Hill Council elections in 2020.